


listen for the silence

by Darth Occlus (NotSummer)



Series: deliverance [15]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (its just referenced), (shes not dead just kidnapped), (they don't know that), Angst, Child Death, Cute Kids, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Meddling Kids, Mischief, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Past Character Death, just a bit at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 08:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14745785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSummer/pseuds/Darth%20Occlus
Summary: Silence is a dangerous thing to any parent.





	listen for the silence

Miyala was dozing off on her husband’s chest as he read a holobook when she snapped awake. The house was silent. Her eyes narrowed. She couldn’t hear the twins, and that usually meant they were up to something.

“Cyare?” Jesse set his book down on her back, and his fingertips lightly grazed her lekku.

She shivered slightly, and saw him hide a smile. “I think trouble is afoot,” she said quietly.

“Really? I can’t hear anything.” Jesse paused. “ _I can’t hear anything_.” The two of them scrambled up, and Miyala padded upstairs, moving silently. Who knew the skills she obtained as a black ops Jedi would be so useful in motherhood?

Sidhi had been expressive; her laughter could be heard through the house, and her parents had always known when she was up to something. With the twins though, it was the silence that was worrisome.

Muffled giggles slipped through their door, which had been left ajar. Miyala peeked in, and then ducked back out, pressing her head into Jesse’s chest as she silenced her own laughter. Her shoulders shook. Goddess, she was so glad Concrete was patient with the kids.

Still, she had to be a parent, so she stepped back, put on an appropriately stern face, and opened up the door. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Sio and Jela froze, caught red handed.

Or purple handed: there was paint all over the cat’s tail, which Jela seemed to be using as a paintbrush. Concrete was also wearing what looked like one of the outfits that belonged to Sio’s princess doll.

Concrete mewed plaintively as Miyala appeared, and Miyala scooped Concrete out of Jela’s arms, grimacing as she felt paint drip down her leg. The twins stayed silent, and Miyala asked again, “What are you doing?”

“Painting,” Sio answered slowly, her eyes wide. Oh, she knew she was in trouble.

“Why were you using the cat?” Jesse crossed his arms, his eyes tracing the lines of paint in the carpet of their house.

“We didn’t have a paintbrush,” Jela answered. Her lips quivered: she was deathly afraid of disappointing her father.

“And you didn’t come to us? Jela. Sio. We have paint brushes. Now we need to clean up your room and Concrete and your mother.” The kids both wilted at Jesse’s tone. They were good kids, Miyala thought, they just didn’t think about consequences.

Jesse and Miyala’s eyes met, and Miyala added, “I think we’re going to have to keep all art supplies downstairs from now on, and you two need to apologize for getting paint in the carpet and on the cat. I’m going to take Concrete into the shower with me, and your father will make sure you clean your room and take all your art supplies into the store room.”

They nodded, looking upset, but they didn’t protest, and Miyala stalked down the hall to her own room, carrying Concrete into the shower as she stripped her paint covered clothes. Concrete mewed, and Miyala crouched down to whisper back, “I know, I’m sorry I didn’t catch them.”

Goddess, she was glad Concrete didn’t hate the water. Her cat twirled around her ankles as Miyala silently gave thanks for not having any hair for the paint to get stuck in. With herself washed off, she crouched down, running her fingers through Concrete’s waterlogged fur until the thankfully water solvent paint stopped flowing out of her fur.

There was a surprising amount of paint in there too, Miyala noted. Her cat was very absorbent. She used the Force to grab two towels, and wrapped Concrete in one before drying herself off and pulling on a new set of clothes. She grimaced at the paint covered clothes before electing to wrap a barrier around them and toss them in the laundry.

She settled herself with her bundled up cat on her bed, groaning. Kriffing hells, the kids were full of mischief. “I think that’s your genes,” she called as Jesse entered the room.

“Them being sneaky? No, that’s you,” he retorted, leaning down to kiss her. “You didn’t wait for me?”

“No, I was thinking more about the cat,” she answered honestly. “I assume organizing the paint supplies the way you wanted was what took you so long?”

He gave her a sheepish look, and slipped into their bathroom where the cleaning supplies were stored. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he said as he exited. He stuffed the supplies under his arm so he could free a hand to pet Concrete. “She’s not too traumatized, is she?”

“I’ll get her some t-r-e-a-t-s later,” Miyala said. Concrete was dumb as a brick, but she knew what a treat was. She reached out to scratch Concrete’s cheek, and the little cat purred. “She’s a patient little sweetheart.”

“Uh huh,” Jesse said, grinning. “I’m going to go supervise the cleaning efforts. Turns out Jela was painting a fortress to defend.”

“She’s your daughter,” Miyala said dryly.

He grinned. “She’s a little Mando. Not that I want her fighting,” he added hastily, “But if it’s her choice, I’m not stopping her.”

Miyala reached out, and he wrapped his hand around hers. “I know. I just… We already lost Sidhi,” she said softly. “I can’t… Not another daughter.”

At Sidhi’s name, Concrete mewed loudly, a long drawn out noise. “Yeah, me too,” Miyala murmured at the cat before looking back up at her husband.

“I know,” he said quietly. “But I won’t control them or their futures. It’s their choice.”

Miyala nodded, and then shook herself. “Yeah. Go help clean up. I’ll finish drying off Concrete.”

“Oh, that’s difficult,” Jesse teased. His tone was light, but his eyes were still worried and terse.

She leaned back, and grinned. “Or I’ll come help supervise, for a price.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh?”

She tapped her lips, and he laughed, before leaning down and kissing her, using his free arm to pull her with him so he could stand without breaking the kiss. Concrete meowed again, and Miyala broke the kiss, grinning at her husband before leaning down to kiss the top of her cat’s head.


End file.
